1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a method for calibrating a 3D TOF camera system, and to a moveable device to which the camera is secured and on which it is carried.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Systems for three-dimensional image acquisition operate with the aid of active illumination. They include so-called time-of-flight (TOF) measurement systems. They also comprise lidar and radar systems, in particular. These time-of-flight measurement systems use a chiefly amplitude-modulated or pulsed illumination to light up the three-dimensional scenery to be detected.
A camera system is, in particular, to be taken to comprise all 3D TOF camera systems that obtain a time-of-flight information item from the phase shift of an emitted and received radiation. The camera system is typically divided into a transmitter, for example an active illumination, and a receiver, for example a camera. Particularly suitable as 3D TOF cameras are PMD cameras having photomix detectors (PMDs) which are as described, inter alia, in the applications EP 1 777 747, U.S. Pat. No. 6,587,186 and also DE 197 04 496 and may be acquired as O3D frame grabbers from ‘ifm electronic gmbh’. The PMD camera or camera system particularly permits a flexible arrangement of the light source (active illumination) and of the receiver, which can be arranged either in one housing or else separately.